Mikkel Jensen, Laurens Vanthoor and now Alex Lynn. The first three drivers confirmed by McLaren for its Hypercar programme have one thing in common: all have played a part in developing a car competing at the highest level of endurance racing. And none has anything left to prove when it comes to outright speed.
“As a British driver is there any bigger honour than being a McLaren Racing driver? I don’t think so,” says Lynn. “It’s a team name that I am incredibly proud to wear on my chest and I take great pride and responsibility in representing.”
Announced on Thursday, 15 October, Lynn’s move will take effect once he has completed his current commitment with Cadillac Hertz Team Jota. At 33, the Briton is preparing to embark on a new chapter in his career, just as he returns to racing this weekend at the 6 Hours of Barcelona following several months on the sidelines.
What McLaren saw in Alex Lynn at Cadillac
Having been involved with the Cadillac V-Series.R since its competitive debut, Lynn has witnessed every stage of the programme, from its initial development to its first victories. He has seen the car evolve and helped unlock its full potential. That is precisely what James Barclay, who previously worked with Lynn at Jaguar Racing in Formula E, is keen to highlight.
“We are delighted to welcome Alex to the McLaren Hypercar Team,” says the McLaren Hypercar Team Principal. “He is a proven winner with extensive experience at the highest level of endurance racing, and his speed, technical understanding and knowledge of the FIA World Endurance Championship will be a real asset to our programme.”
“Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability on the biggest stages, including at Le Mans, and his signing adds further strength and depth to an already exciting driver line-up as we prepare for our return to the pinnacle of sports car racing.”
The parallels with Laurens Vanthoor are clear. The Belgian also played a role in developing an LMDh, the Porsche 963. Mikkel Jensen brings a different perspective, shaped by his time with Peugeot’s 9X8 programme, a car built to LMH regulations.
Three drivers, three manufacturers and three distinct sets of references. For McLaren, that diversity could prove invaluable throughout the development of the MCL-HY.
Who will fill the three remaining seats?
With three drivers now confirmed, McLaren still has three seats to fill in what will indeed be a six-driver line-up.
Among the names being mentioned is Malthe Jakobsen, who also comes from Peugeot and is familiar with the demands of Hypercar racing. Grégoire Saucy, recently crowned ELMS LMP2 champion, has already accumulated considerable mileage behind the wheel of the MCL-HY.
Leonardo Fornaroli would represent a rather different approach. Coming from single-seaters and with no endurance racing experience to date, the Italian has a career trajectory that suggests considerable potential to adapt to the discipline.
Bringing together such drivers will not, of course, be enough to make the new McLaren competitive. The quality of the car, how effectively it is operated and the team’s ability to develop it will remain decisive. Nevertheless, the manufacturer’s first recruitment decisions send a strong signal.
“I don’t underestimate the challenge ahead,” says Lynn. “I know from experience that WEC and Le Mans are incredibly tough to win and are more competitive today than ever before – but I can already see that Zak [Brown], James [Barclay] and the McLaren Hypercar Team are laying the foundations of a what could be a championship-winning team.”
“I couldn’t be more driven towards winning a world title and taking victory at Le Mans for the most iconic racing brand in the world.”
For McLaren, the immediate objective is rather more practical: to make the most of every test session ahead of its 2027 debut. Yet impressing drivers of Lynn’s and Vanthoor’s calibre, from two of the leading operations on the grid, Cadillac Team Jota and Porsche Penske Motorsport, already speaks volumes about the appeal of the project.
Who is Alex Lynn?
Three years after winning the Formula Renault 2.0 UK championship with Fortec Motorsports, Alex Lynn claimed the GP3 Series title with Carlin. © GP3 Series
For years, Alex Lynn was regarded as one of the most promising drivers on the single-seater ladder. The 2011 Formula Renault UK champion, winner of the 2013 Macau Grand Prix and GP3 Series champion the following year, subsequently served as a reserve and development driver for Williams in Formula 1. He also claimed race victories in GP2 Series and Formula E.
It is in endurance racing, however, that he has built the bulk of his record. A winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring in both 2017 and 2022, he claimed LMGTE Pro honours at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans with Aston Martin before securing the ELMS LMP2 title in 2023.
Having joined Cadillac in 2022, Lynn was part of the V-Series.R’s first WEC podium finish at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, alongside Earl Bamber and Richard Westbrook. He then delivered the car’s first WEC pole position at the 2024 6 Hours of Fuji, before claiming outright pole at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A few weeks later, at the 6 Hours of São Paulo, Lynn, Will Stevens and Norman Nato secured Cadillac’s maiden WEC victory. It was the culmination of more than two years of work in which the Briton had played an active role.
With McLaren, he will be starting from scratch while taking on the biggest challenge of
his career.